20th of August following, King William having joined the army in Flanders, and Queen Mary being Regent, letters patent passed the Great Seal of Ireland, granting to seven ministers, during pleasure, for the use of the ministers of the North of Ireland, £1200 per annum, to be paid quarterly out of any of the revenues of the kingdom.

[Queen Anne did not continue to favour the Presbyterians. Almost the first Parliamentary measure of her reign in Ireland, was the passing of the Test Act in 1704; by which, all who held offices under the Crown, were obliged to take the Sacrament according to the usage of the English Church. The Presbyterians consequently suffered much by the enact inent of this severe and uncalled-for measure. They drew up several "Apologies," which were presented to the Queen; they petitioned Parliament in 1704; but all without effect. The High-Church party became more and more intolerant.]

In the last year of the Queen, the toleration was still farther limited by "An Act to prevent the Growth of Schism." By this, the education of youth was to be taken out of the hands of the Dissenters, and entrusted only with those who were full and entire Conformists. By the insertion of a clause in the Act, it was made to extend to Ireland.

Though the Schism Bill extended only to schoolmasters and tutors, yet it was feared, from the character of Anne's ministry, that the meetinghouses of Dissenters would have been shut up. In fact, between the time of the Queen's death and the news of it arriving, the meeting-houses of Downpatrick, Antrim and Rathfriland were nailed up by some of the Church party.

On the decease of King William, the trustees for the Royal Bounty petitioned Queen Anne to renew the grant. This she was pleased to do, by her letters patent, but with the following limitations :-" Upon trust nevertheless that the money which shall be received thereupon, from time to time, shall be distributed to and amongst the said Presbyterian ministers or such of them, and in such proRortions as shall be appointed from time to time, in lists to be approved

of and signed by our Lieutenant De puty or other chief governor or governors of our said kingdom of Ireland, for the time being."

The Schism Bill was repealed by George I, who was fully satisfied that the Dissenters were thus persecuted because of their opposition to the High-Church principles, and to a Tory and Jacobite ministry.—The same Monarch, with his own hand, struck out of the Irish Act of Toleration that clause which stands in the English Act, that required Presbyterian ministers to subscribe the doc trinal articles of the Established Church.t

[About the same time with the granting of the preceding Toleration, £400 was added to the salary settled on them by King William.

These tolerant measures tended very much to the encouragement of the Presbyterian cause in. Ulster. The number of congregations increased yearly; ministers instructed in the Irish language, were annually sent to propagate the Protestant religion among the Roman Catholics, in the remote parts of the island; so that during this reign, the number of ministers and congregations was increased to 150, divided into ten Presbyteries, and associated in one general Synod, that, from this period, has continued to meet annually in June.

In 1726, after several years' discussion on the subject of subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith, one Presbytery, consisting of those who refused subscribing to any creed of human composition, became separated from the jurisdiction of the Synod, though still co-operating with it in every thing that concerns the ge

It appears, however, that from the time of the first grant in 1672 until 1803, the ministers of the Synod possessed uncontrolled authority in the distribution of the R. B.

+ That the Dissenting ministers in Ire land obtained a legal toleration upon more Catholic and general terms, was entirely owing to the friendly interposi tion of his Majesty King George I., who, upon receiving the proposals of the Irish ministers, it is reported, should say"They know not what they would be at; and that they should have a toleration without any subscription."

This was the Presbytery of Antrim.

George II. followed up the liberal and tolerant measures of his father. He repressed the vexatious prosecu. tions respecting the validity of their marriages, to which the Presbyterians had long been exposed by the HighChurch party; and in 1738, an Act was passed by the Irish Legislature, for giving further ease to Protestant Dissenters on this subject.

The Presbyterian ministers had always exercised the right of solemnizing marriage, from their first settlement in Ireland; and though latterly they were frequently prosecuted for it in the Ecclesiastical Courts, and some of them in Queen Anne's reign even excommunicated, they never ceased asserting and exercising this right.

At the accession of George III. the favour and protection they had enjoy. ed during the sway of his family, had given considerable stability to their cause; but they continued to labour under several restrictions: the Test Act of Queen Anne was still in force; the validity of their marriages was not yet explicitly acknowledged by the Legislature; and the annual grant from Government had become totally inadequate to the support of the increased number of ministers.

The first act of relief they experienced, was the total repeal of the Test Act in 1780; so that Presbyterians can hold any office without being required to qualify for it, as heretofore, by taking the Sacrainent in the Established Church.

In 1782, an Act was passed which declares all the marriages solemnized between Protestant Dissenters, (or Protestant Dissenters and Roman Catholics,) by their own ministers, to be good and valid to all intents and purposes whatsoever. This set at rest all doubts, and put an end to all prosecutions on this subject.

In this reign the grant from Government was increased at several times, but the principal augmentation took place in 1803, by which the congregations are divided into three classes, which respectively receive £100, £75, and £50 annually.

This arrangement by no means subjects them to the controul of Governinent the express terms of the grant being thesc-that it cannot be with

Including the Presbytery of Antrim, there are at present 223 ministers, 85 licentiates, 201 congregations, and upwards of half a million of people connected with the General Synod of Ulster.

Besides the General Synod of Ulster, there is a Synod of Seceding Presbyterian ministers, who introduced themselves into Ulster about 1740; established congregations among the people previously in connexion with the Synod of Ulster; and now, through the favour of Government, enjoy the same privileges as the members of that body. Though by far the smaller body, they have taken the name of the "Presbyterian Synod of Ireland." There are also a few Presbyterian settlements in the South of Ireland, constituting the Synod of Munster; and about twenty congregations in Ulster, known by the name of Reformed Presbyterians, or Covenanters.]

It may be added, that the General Synod of Ulster has always discovered a very laudable anxiety to promote useful learning in the Church. Many excellent regulations have been made, at different times, to secure a sufficient knowledge of language, science and divinity, in those designed for the sacred office; that the ministry might be as respectable by its learning, as its piety and virtue.

So long ago as the reign of Charles II., the Rev. Thomas Gowan, a man of great learning and talents, taught philosophy and divinity at Antrim, with celebrity and success, for many years. And Mr. John Hutchison, a man of excellent acquirements in science, taught philosophy for several years at Newtownards. At a subsequent period, the Rev. James Macalpine taught a philosophy school at Killeleagh, by licence from the Chancellor of the diocese. The students afterwards attended lectures on divinity at Belfast, delivered by the Rev. Mr. M'Bride. At present, lectures on various subjects are given in the Belfast Academical Institution, more particularly for the instruction of candidates for the Presbyterian ministry.

For a long period the Scotch colleges have been the usual place of resort for divinity students of the Presbyterian persuasion from the North of Ireland. These have principally frequented the University of Glasgow, which has long been distinguished for Professors of eminent abilities.

In 1770, various regulations were adopted by the General Synod, prescribing to students of divinity a par ticular course of study at College, and directing that they should be regularly examined by the several Presbyteries, One of the ministers was, at this time, directed to write to the Universities, of Glasgow and Edinburgh, to request that the Professors would be particular and circumspect in granting certificates to Irish students.

In 1804, rules still more full and precise were enjoined by the Synod: and, in 1807, the subject having been again brought under review, the following regulations were adopted in place of all former regulations:

1. That students intending to be come candidates for the ministry, shall be examined and approved of by a Presbytery of this Synod; in the Greek and Latin languages, geography and English grammar.

That such students having read Virgil, Horace, Sallust and Cicero de Officiis, the Greek Testament, Homer, Xenophon's Cyropædia, may be examined in such of these books as the Presbytery may find sufficient to satisfy them of their possessing a competent knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages.

That the Presbyteries report annually to the Synod the names of the students they have examined and approved of, and shall give such students certificates of their approbation.

2. That it be recommended to the Presbyteries, that every student shall be examined by his Presbytery, on his return from college, each session, in the sciences he has studied, during that session.

That the intervals between the college sessions shall be spent in studying the following subjects-civil history, Jewish antiquities, ecclesiastical history, Bible criticism and divinity, as the Presbyteries may find proper to prescribe. The Presbyteries to require specimens of composition, élocution and devotional exercises.

3. That students be permitted to enter on presbyterial trials, upon their studying divinity, Hebrew, and Church history, in a regular seminary of learning, one session after taking a degree in arts.

4. If any student should have commenced his studies, without a particular view to the ministry, or should come from another church, and afterwards direct his attention to the Presbyterian ministry, upon presenting himself to a Presbytery, he shall be examined, as other students are, at their entrance; and if found qualified, he shall be placed on the same footing with students who have attended the same number of sessions that he has done.

5. Should any Presbytery license any young man to preach the gospel, in violation of these rules, such licence shall be deemed null and void, and the Presbytery so offending subjected. to the severe censure of this Synod.

The following is a sketch of the practice of the Synod with respect, to licence and ordination.

A candidate for the ministry having acquitted himself in his examinations, and in delivering the necessary discourses, to the satisfaction of the Presbytery, is then licensed to preach the gospel. In this act, two-thirds of the Presbytery present must concur. He is now denominated a probationer, and is under the controul and direction of his Presbytery.

When a congregation is desirous of inviting a minister or probationer, on trials, two-thirds of the Presbytery regularly assembled must concur in the invitation. The candidate is then regularly transmitted from the Presbytery to which he may belong On being heard for the time appointed, commonly a month, the minds of the congregation are taken respecting him; two-thirds being necessary to form a majority; and these reckoned from the number, quality and stipend of those who vote. The minister who takes the poll, is directed by an authentic list of voters, put into his hands

exegesis or common head, a presbyterial • These are—a homily, a lecture, an exercise and a popular discourse. Besides these, various specimens are frequently required from young men before they are entered on trials.

very silly persons. Why the Critic should have expressed his contempt for Monotheism and Monotheists in these terms, will be shewn hereafter; for the present I shall be content with proving that Monotheism is not only not deserving of this contempt, hut on reconsidering the subject, the British Critic himself will be sorry for the terms he has used.

Monotheism is another expression for Unitarianism, the former expressing the doctrine in terins derived from the Greek; the latter is a term derived from the Latin, both implying the belief and worship of one God alone. The Greek words whence the term Monotheism is derived, are monos and theos, or mono and theo, monos or mono meaning one, and theos or theo meaning God. We find the latter terms mono and theo used very early under the Christian dispensation, and by an authority which cannot be called in question. Our Saviour ratifies Monotheism in these words, Matthew iv. 10: "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." In the Greek the word translated only is mono, and in connexion with the first sentence it implies, Thou shalt serve God only, mono, theo. The same precept is repeated in the same words in Luke iv. 8. Thus our Saviour himself is the vindicator of Monotheism, and was himself a Monotheist. The same terms, mono, theo, in the same sense, applied to only one God, are used by Paul in Romans ix. 27, 1 Tim. i. 17, and in Jude 25; and no one who reads these passages can doubt that Paul and Jude were vindicators of Monotheism or Monotheists. I might adduce several other passages from the New Testament, where monos, in different cases, is applied to theos in its cases; but the above are quite sufficient for my purpose, and will prove at any rate, that the British Critic was very unguarded in his language, when he classed the believers in Monotheism with persons who deny that two and two make four.

I can have no objection to the use of the terms Monotheism and Monotheist instead of Unitarianism and Unitarian; for my Saviour was a Monotheist or Unitarian. But the British Critic is not aware that the teri Monotheist or Unitarian is one

that his own seet lays claim to; and the very excellent and learned Lord Bishop of Chester, in a late publication on John's Gospel, which, whatever we may think of the arguments, deserves great credit for its liberality, questions our exclusive right to the title of Unitarian. He is, according to his own account, a Monotheist or Unitarian, an advocate for Monotheism or Unitarianism.

He has expressed a wish that we should be considered always under the title of Humanitarians. I am glad to see this contest, ayaby epis de ßporal

. It is a direct avowal on the part of the Bishop, that Unitarianism is founded on truth. His Lordship, in perfect consistency with the first of the Thirty-nine Articles, puts in his claim to the title of Unitarian; for it says, "There is only one God." I rejoice that he sees the matter so clearly in its true light. There is only one God.-This is the language of the Old and the New Testament. To believe this great and important truth, constitutes a man an Unitarian. If a person professing this faith should unite with it circumstances which, in our apprehension, clash with this creed, the contest is not on the creed itself acknowledged by both parties, but on the circumstances, and these should be examined with Christian charity on both sides.

The Lord Bishop of Chester would, in retaining his right to the title of Unitarian, give us the title of Humanitarians, a term expressive he thinks of our opinions, without infringing on the claim of both parties to the title of Unitarians. But to this we cannot accede; for the term Humanitarian refers only to our Saviour; whereas we do not admit that any person is God beside the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and we deny that any such person as is termed the Holy Ghost, is God. Many Unitarians believe that Christ had an existence prior to his coming into this world, who of course cannot accede to the use of this term Humanitarian; and in fact the term Unitarian is so plainly expressive of the belief in one only God, that we cannot change it for another; and the term Trinitarian is as aptly fitted for those who maintain a modification in their creed of the unity of God.